Volleyball Picked to Finish Third in South
8/24/2010 5:42:00 PM | Volleyball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Opening regular season competition on Friday, the Georgia Southern Volleyball team was picked to finish third in the South Division as voted on by the head coaches in the Southern Conference (August 24). The Eagles, led by junior Bethany Sanford and sophomore setter Kate Van Dyke who were both named Preseason All-Southern Conference, received one first-place vote, 48 points total.
Sanford and Van Dyke both earned All-Conference honors at the conclusion of the 2009 season. Sanford led the team in kills (390) and ranked second in the conference tallying 3.48 kills per set.
Van Dyke averaged 10.59 assists per set, collecting a team-best 1,229 assists over the season, and ranked second in the league in that statistical category. The sophomore also earned All-Freshman accolades. Both Eagles were named SoCon Player of the Week at least once during the 2009 season.
As a team, Georgia Southern returns 11 letterwinners and adds an incoming class of three. The Eagles capped the 2009 season with a 21-10 record and 11-5 conference mark, narrowly missing the reduced field for the league tournament.
The 2009 tournament champions College of Charleston grabbed the top slot in the South Division for the second consecutive year. Samford, the two-time defending North Division regular season champion, was tabbed to claim a third straight division title.
The War Eagle Invitational, August 27-28, opens the 2010 season for the Eagles. Georgia Southern faces UT Martin on Friday (Aug. 27) at 6 p.m. (ET) in the first of three matches over the weekend. Troy and host Auburn will be on deck for Saturday, Aug. 28. Live stats will be available for all matches at the official website of Auburn Athletics. Fans can access the War Eagle Invitational page by visiting auburntigers.cstv.com or by clicking here.
Southern Conference Preseason Poll
School (#1 Votes) Total Points
North
1. Samford (9) 65
2. Elon (1) 52
3. Appalachian State (2) 50
4. UNC Greensboro 35
5. Chattanooga 27
6. Western Carolina 17
South
1. College of Charleston (7) 62
2. Furman (4) 58
3. Georgia Southern (1) 48
4. Davidson 36
5. Wofford 24
6. The Citadel 18
Preseason All-Southern Conference
Name School Position
Cole Dawley College of Charleston Setter
Caroline Adams Furman Middle Blocker
Bethany Sanford Georgia Southern Outside Hitter
Sarabeth Peele Davidson Outside Hitter
Elyse Chubb College of Charleston Middle Blocker
Kelly Kirby Furman Right Side
Kate Van Dyke Georgia Southern Setter
Hillary Fountain Samford Setter
Ginny Phillips College of Charleston Right Side
